Month: February 2007

Even in Kuwait the Shias get a hard time. And in Iraq it is much worse, but it isn’t religion, it’s about the opressed and the opressors.

…For those who follow Iraq from afar, the daily stories of sectarian slaughter are perplexing. Why are the Shi’ites and Sunnis fighting? Why now? There are several explanations for the timing of the outbreak of hostilities, each tied to a particular interpretation of how events unfolded after the fall of Saddam Hussein: flawed American postwar policies, provocation by foreign jihadis, retaliation by militias like al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army, the ineptitude of Iraqi politicians and, lately, Iranian interference. But the rage burning in people like Muslawi and Hussein has much deeper and older roots. It is the product of centuries of social, political and economic inequality, imposed by repression and prejudice and frequently reinforced by bloodshed. The hatred is not principally about religion.…

Read the full story here:
Behind the Sunni-Shi’ite Divide — Thursday, Feb. 22, 2007 — Page 1 — TIME

Kevin, M.D. – Medical Weblog: The curse of praise#comments#comments

We all know this but read the comments:

… People worry too much about their children. I never ever recommend child-rearing literature to my patients, advising them instead to call their grandmothers.

# posted by Anonymous : 7:28 PM

The problem of course, is that after another generation of “self-esteemism” those grandmothers will be idiots as well.

# posted by Anonymous : 2:31 PM

Seven days a week, 8-year-old Jasmina Khatoom rises before dawn to fetch water for the household where she works as a maid. She washes, sweeps and hauls until about 11 at night, when she lies down to sleep on the floor by the bathroom door.

I saw this article in the International Herald Tribune and was disgusted.

And also from The J-Walk Blog: Unwanted Girls

The Indian government is planning to set up a strategically placed network of cradles around the country where parents who don’t want their baby girls can leave them

Makes me sick.

Philips Wake-Up Light Alarm Clock: Fade Up to Harsh Reality – Gizmodo

This is a real Email, and I can’t resist:

I would appreciate if you can circular my contact numbers to all who is inquiring about service in order to avoid any incontinence or misunderstanding.

We went for dinner at the KOC Hubara Center in Ahmadi and the lights are quite something. I may go back next weekend with the real camera and tripod. These are from the camera phone. And it is a blend of two images.

Click thumbnail for full size image.